Filing device.



R. D. STRUBLE.

FILING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.3.1913.

1 90,089, Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

i550 rua g s.

R. D. STRUBLE.

FILING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APILS, 1913. 1,090,089. Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-8HEET 2. y'

yL 17 11 I UNITED STATES am ornron.

ROBERT D. STRUBLE, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK. ASSIGNOR TO THE POST-HASTE CARD SYSTEMS COMPANY, INC., OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

FILING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Apn'l 3, 1913.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

Serial No. 758,560.

1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Ronnn'r D. STRUnLn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Filing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to files of the box or drawer or case type in which cards or papers are retained in a desired order. Filingeases of this kind as heretofore constructed have generally been more particularly adapted for reference purposes and if it is required to make an entry on a card, the card has to be taken out of its place for this purpose. This is objectionable on account of the delay and inconvenience incident to removing the card from and again replacing it in the filing case and because of the liability of misplacing the cards when returning them to the case.

The objects of the invention are to pro duce a filing case which is so constructed that the upright walls thereof can be swung down to positions substantially in the horizontal plane of the bottom of the case. so that entries can be conveniently written on the cards without requiring them to be removed from the case or their order disturbed; also to so construct the case that the guiding or retaining means for holding; the cards in the case have extensions on the walls on which the :ards are adapted to be moved when the walls are in the lun-izontal position; also to provide a case of this kind of strong and rigid construction in which the walls can be easily swung from one po sition to another and can be locked in their upright position; also to improve the construction in the respects hereuurtter specified.

2. Fig. t is a side elevation of the tile. Fig. 5 1s a sectional elevation thereof on hno 55, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 1s an end ele'ation thereof, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional elevation thereof. F 8 is a transverse sectional elevation thereof on line 8-8, Fig. 2.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

represents the base or bottom of the tile. case or drawer, and B and C respect vely the front and rear end walls thereof. These parts may be of any suitable construction and can be made of any desired material. In the construction shown in the drawings, the base or bottom A is made of sheet metal plate bent to form channels or depressions u. a and a a which extend longitudinally throughout the length of the base. The end walls shown are also made of metal. the front wall crnuprising' a plate Z) secured to a frame I), which is pivoted at b to the base A. The plate provided with the usual handle or grip 7). The rear wall C shown consists of a metal frame of inverted Ll--sl1ape, the lowcr ends of the legs of which are pivotally connected at c to the base, the metal frame of the rear wall being preferably o't' L-shaped cross section. The bottoms of the channels (1. are partly cut away at c a near the end of the base to permit the end walls to swing to their lower positions. The edges of the cut away portions of the base abut against the lower edge of the frame of the end walls. see Fig. 3, to limit the downward swinging of the walls. The ends of the base A are also recessed at c to pcrmit the end walls P) and (l to swing to their upright positions and form stops against which the cnd walls abut when in their upright positions.

Suitable means are provided for retaining the walls in their upright positions, consisting, in the construction shown, of a pair of telescopic rods 1 and 1.), provided at each side of the case. The rods D are pivotally connected at their front ends to the front wall and the rear ends of the rods l) are pivoted to the rear wall. The inner rods D are 1n-ovidcd at their rear ends with hooks (l which project beyond the rear ends of the rods 1) when the two walls are in their upright positions. and are adapted to be cngagcd by a suitable latch mounted on the rear wall of a case. This latch preferably consists of a rod or bar E which is arranged to slide in guides a secured to the rear wall of the case and is pressed downwardly toward the hooks (Z by a suitable spring a. The books preferably have beveled ends which are adapted to engage and move the latch bar E upwardly when the walls are moved to their upright positions to cause the automatic locking of the walls in place. To release the walls for swinging them clownwardly to their horizontal positions, the latch bar E is moved upwardly out of engagement with the hooks. When the walls are swung to their horizontal positions, the rods 1) D enter into the channels a a of the base below the upper surface of the base. The rods D shown are hollow and inclose the other rods D, but telescopic or slidably connected rods of other construction could be used.

F F represent the cards which are to be filed in the case and which are preferably interlocked with retaining rods or means in the case. Any suitable means may be employed for this purpose, for example, the cards are provided with depending tabs or ears f which enter the channels a a in the base and are perforated and slotted to enable them to embrace guide or retaining bars G located in the channels a a and secured to the base of the case. The cards are preferably creased at the juncture of the tabs therewith, or the tabs are flexibly attached to the cards so as to enable the cards to be readily swung or turned down to a horizontal position. The retaining bars are pr0- vided at their opposite ends with extensions 9 g which are hinged at their lower ends to the ends of the retaining bars and are connected at their upper ends to the front and rear walls of the case, preferably by suitable lost motion connections which may be formed by rods 9' secured to the walls and slidably engaging in the hollow ends of the extensions 9 g. When the front and rear walls are swung to their horizontal positions, the extensions lie in the same line with the retaining bars and the cards can then be moved along the extensions of the retaining bars.

The filing case has the advantage that it can be completely filled with cards and when the walls are turned down into their horizontal positions the cards can be moved lengthwise of the case onto the extensions of the retaining bars, and the card upon which it is desired to write, laid over into a substantially horizontal position on the base of the case, It is therefore not necessary to remove the cards from the case for writing thereon, and the misplacing of cards in the case is eliminated. Only one of the walls may be swung downwardly to its horizontal position if it is not necessary to lay all of the cards flat on the base, and the other wall left in its upright position to form a support for the cards adjacent thereto. The filing case can be used to advantage in book-keeping, for example, as a ledger, since it can be manipulated as easily as a book, and possesses in addition all the advantages characteristic of card filing sys tems.

l. claim as my invention:

1. A file comprising a base, opposite end walls pivoted to said base and adapted to swing substantially into the plane of said base, and card-retaining means on said base which have extensions adapted to be moved into alinement with said retaining means when said walls are in the plane of said base, substantially as set forth.

2. A file comprising a base, opposite end walls pivoted to the base and adapted to be swung to a substantially horizontal position, and retaining means on said base for the cards, said retaining means having extensions secured to the end walls and with which the cards are adapted to engage when the end walls are in their horizontal positions, substantially as set forth.

3. A file comprising a base, opposite end walls pivoted to said base and adapted to swing substantially into the plane of said base, a card retaining bar extending lengthwise of said base, andmovable extensions for said bar which swing with said end walls and are alined with said retaining bar when said walls are swung into the plane of said base, substantially as set forth.

at. A file comprising a base, opposite end walls pivoted to said base and adapted to swing substantially into the plane of said base, a card retaining bar extending lengthwise of said base, and extensions for said bar secured to said end-walls and pivoted to said retaining bar and which are alined with said retaining bar when said walls are swung into the plane of said base, substantially as set forth,

5. A file comprising a base, opposite end walls pivoted to said base and adapted to swing substantially into the plane of said base, a pair of rods slidably arranged with regard to each other, one of said rods being pivoted to one end wall and the other rod being pivoted to the other end wall, and means for locking the free end of one of the rods to the opposite wall, substantially as set forth.

6. A file comprising a base having channeled portions extending lengthwise of the base, walls pivoted to the base and adapted to be swung to a substantially horizontal position, means connecting the walls for releasably holding the same in their vertical positions, said means being adapted to enter into said channeled portions when the walls are in their horizontal positions, substantially as set forth.

7. A file comprising a base having channeled portions extending lengthwise of the base, walls pivoted to the base and adapted to be swung to a substantially horizontal position, card retaining bars secured to the base and located in said channeled portions thereof, said card retaining means having to form extensions for said retaining means extensions adapted to be moved into alinewhen said end walls are in the plane of said ment with said retaining means when said base, substantially as set forth.

walls are in their horizontal positions, sub- 1 fitness my hand, this 28th day of N0- stantially as set forth. l vember, 1912.

8. A file comprising a base, opposite end l walls pivoted to said base and adapted to swing substantially into the plane of said base, card retaining means on said base, and means on said end Walls which are adapted 1 ROBERT D. STRUBLE.

Witnesses:

JOHN K. KERN, Gnome VINCENT BAILEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommluloner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

